Vehicle-tongue.



J. E. FUQUA.

VEHICLE TONGUE.

APPLICATION FILED 3.15, 1912.

1,044;,769, Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES EVAN FUQUA, OF MONTEVALLO, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-TONGUE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J AMES EVAN FU UA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montevallo, in the county of Vernon and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle- Tongues; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to carriages and wagons, and more especially to the tongues thereof; and the object of the same is to make such a tongue or pole connection almost entirely of pipes and their couplings and in specific form so that a certain yielding is permitted the tongue when draft is applied. This object is accomplished by constructing the tongue and its connection in the manner hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of this device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section showing the moving parts under strain and illustrating the rear parts in plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a plan view of a slight modification which will be referred to hereinafter.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the tongue proper which is a piece of piping or tubing screwed into the front arm of a four-way coupling 2. To the side arms of the latter are attached nipples 3 onto which are screwed elbows 4 that turn to the rear and receive reducers 5 in their rear extremities. Into the reducers may be screwed pipes or rods 6 which extend to the rear in parallelism and carry nuts 7 at their rearmost extremities, just forward of which coiled springs 8 are mounted thereon. Two other four-way couplings 9 are provided (although in Fig. 4 I have shown a modification at 9 how one of these might be a T-coupling) and the rods 6 pass loosely and completely through the front and rear arms of these couplings so that the springs 8 bear againsttheir rear sides and tend to draw the other parts to the rear. A three-way coupling or Tjoint 10 is interposed between the two side couplings 9 and its side arms connected with them by nipples 11, the front arm of this T- coupling carries a reducer 12 and the latter carries a rod or pipe 13 which projects loosely into and through the forward four- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15. 1912.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

Serial No. 690,910.

way coupling 2 and may extend for some distance into the tongue. 1 as indicated in Fig. 2. Thus it will be. seen that when draft is applied to the tongue it moves forward over the tube or rod 13 as a guide and the two tubes or rods 6 are drawn forward through the side couplings 9 against the ten sion of the springs 8 which are compressed as much as necessary.

The extremities of the two side couplings 9 are connected with the front axle in any suitable manner, but with the object of following. out the idea of making this entire device of pipes and their couplings, I preferably make the connection as follows: Into the outer arms of the couplings 9 are secured plugs or nipples 20, and on them are screwed elbows 21, into the outer end of each of the latter is screwed a short nipple 22, and onto each nipple is screwed one arm of a T-coupling 23 if the brace described below is to be employed. Into the opposite arm of this coupling is screwed another nipple 24L connecting with a second 45 elbow 25, the rear end of which carries a nipple or plug 26 through which extendsa pin 27 adapted to be engaged with the thill coupling on the front axle which it is not necessary to show and describe.

The brace spoken of is a piece of pipe 80 on whose ends are screwed 45 elbows 31 which may be connected by plugs or nipples 32 with the shanks of the T-couplings 23 so that this entire connection will be given greater strength. However, I may use any suitable form of brace, and in some cases it may be omitted entirely.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with atubular tongue, a four-way coupling at the rear end thereof, elbows connected with the lateral arms of said coupling, and parallel rods projecting to the rear from said elbows and having heads at their rear extremities; of a separated pair of side couplings through which said rods slide, expansive springs mounted on the rods between their heads and the rear of said couplings, a three-way coupling connecting the inner ends of said side couplings, a rod carried by this coupling and projecting loosely through the four-way coupling and into the tongue, and connections between the side couplings and the thill couplings of a vehicle.

2. The combination with a tubular tongue, a four-way coupling at the rear end thereof,

elbows connected with the lateral arms of said coupling, and parallel rods projecting to the rear from said elbows and having heads at their rear extremities; of a separated pair of side couplings through which said rods slide, expansive springs mounted on the rods between their heads and the rear of said couplings, a three-way coupling connecting the inner ends of said side couplings, a rod carried by this coupling and projecting loosely through the fourway coupling and into the tongue, plugs in the outer arms of the side couplings, elbows mounted on said plugs, T-couplings connected with the outer ends of said elbows, a transverse brace connecting the shanks of the T-couplings, and connections between the outer ends of said T-couplings and the thill couplings of a vehicle.

3. The combination with a tubular tongue, a four-way coupling at the rear end thereof, elbows connected with the lateral arms of said coupling, and parallel rods projecting to the rear from said elbows and having heads at their rear extremities; of a separated pair of side couplings through which said rods slide, expansive springs mounted on the rods between their heads and the rear of said couplings, connections between the inner ends of said side couplings, plugs in the outer arms of the side couplings, elbows mounted on said plugs, T-couplings connected with the outer ends of said elbows, a transverse brace connecting the shanks of the T-couplings, and connections between the outer ends of said T-couplings and the thill couplings of a vehicle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES EVAN FUQUA. Witnesses:

JNo. M. SIUERMER, F. P. STUERMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

